Rena Burton

Profile

Rena practises across public and administrative law areas, with a specialty in statutory construction matters and a particular interest in the fields of taxation and equity and in mediation theory.

Rena has experience across commercial and contract law disputes, property disputes, professional negligence, insurance and general equity matters. She also has a significant practice in confiscation of proceeds of crime on behalf of the Victorian DPP and the Australian Federal Police. Rena's practice extends across:

• Administrative law / review of government decisions, including merits review and judicial review of decisions
• Equity and trust law matters
• Freedom of information applications
• Taxation, particularly the intersection of tax and equitable principles in areas such as family law and trusts
• Statutory construction and interpretation
• Proceeds of crime
• Civil regulatory matters, including ASIC and ACCC matters

Rena has appeared in applications, trials and appeals in the Federal Court, the Supreme Courts of NSW and Victoria, District and County Courts of New South Wales and Victoria and at VCAT. She appears in all courts and tribunals, at first instance and on appeal, and provides written advice or advice in conference depending on client needs. She has appeared in constitutional law cases in the High Court as junior to then Commonwealth Solicitor-General, David Bennett QC.

Rena has a Master of Laws degree from the University of Melbourne, including studies in contractual interpretation, theories of judging and mediation and privacy and government regulation.

Rena also holds a Master of Analytical Psychology with Distinction (UWS), a Master of Arts (Theology) degree (University of Divinity – formerly Melbourne College of Divinity) and a Diploma in Science from the University of New England (UNE).

While practising in NSW, Rena was a member of the Bar Council of the New South Wales Bar Association for two terms.

In Victoria, Rena sat on the Bar Ethics Committee from 2009 to 2013.

Rena has been a contributing author to Weaver & Craigie’s The Law Relating to Banker and Customer in Australia and to Federal Civil Litigation Precedents.

In 2016, Rena was the inaugural Convenor and Lecturer in Torts at Swinburne University of Technology.

Rena served in the RAAF Special Reserve as a Legal Officer from 1996-2001. She was a Board member of the Arts Law Centre from approximately 2001 to 2004.

Rena was National Director of the Episcopal Standards Commission for the Anglican Church from 2007 – 2008 and President of the Professional Standards Board of the Diocese of Melbourne in 2011